The Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN) has commenced the strict enforcement of its licensing law, warning that individuals and organizations engaging unlicensed project managers face severe sanctions, including imprisonment.
The Registrar-General and Chief Executive Officer of CIPMN, Mr. Henry Mbadiwe, announced the development on Tuesday in Abuja during the Institute’s June 2026 induction ceremony, where approximately 350 new members were admitted into the profession.
Mbadiwe stated that following three years of public sensitisation across television and social media platforms, the regulatory body is moving decisively into compliance monitoring and enforcement.
Under the CIPMN Act, it is mandatory for professionals leading or delivering projects within Nigeria to hold valid certifications and licences from the Institute.
“You cannot hire anyone in the public or private sector to lead or deliver any new initiative, that is, projects in Nigeria, if they are not licensed,” Mbadiwe said. “There’s a two-year jail term stipulated in the Act for anyone delivering projects in Nigeria without a licence.”
The Registrar-General emphasized that legal liability extends beyond individual practitioners to the organizations that employ them, noting that the heads of those organizations or hiring decision-makers would also be held accountable.
According to Mbadiwe, the enforcement drive is designed to improve project outcomes and address Nigeria’s long-standing issues with failed, abandoned, and delayed projects.
The three-day exercise marks the seventh induction programme since the establishment of the Institute. The nearly 350 inductees are joining various cadres, including fellows, chartered members, and licensed members.
Speaking on the theme, “Strategic Project Leadership in Complex Stakeholders’ Environment: Nigerian Context,” Mbadiwe attributed the country’s high rate of project failure to weak project leadership and poor stakeholder management.
He urged project managers to look beyond conventional task management, urging them to navigate the nation’s unique socio-political and cultural realities to build consensus and mitigate risks.
Also speaking at the event, the Chairman of the CIPMN Governing Council, Chief Olabode Emmanuel Afolayan, emphasized competence as the most critical skill for project management professionals.
Chief Afolayan noted that adherence to professional standards ensures efficiency and enables organizations to reduce unnecessary costs without compromising baseline quality.